


Chasing Feelings

by CoffeeComicsGalore



Series: Promptly Accurate [2]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrinette | Adrien Agreste/Marinette Dupain-Cheng, F/M, Fluff, Identity Reveal, Ladrien | Adrien Agreste/Marinette Dupain-Cheng as Ladybug, Ladynoir | Adrien Agreste as Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng as Ladybug, LoveSquareFluffWeek2020, Marichat | Adrien Agreste as Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Miraculous Ladybug Love Square, Pre-Reveal Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, love square week fluff 2k20, lovesquarefluff2k20, these two need to be together already
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-06
Updated: 2020-02-13
Packaged: 2021-02-28 02:14:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 13,693
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22586182
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CoffeeComicsGalore/pseuds/CoffeeComicsGalore
Summary: Happy Love Square Fluff Week 2020! Thanks to lovesquarefluffweek2k20 on Tumbler for the prompts.Marinette and Adrien have been tiptoeing around their feelings for each other for the better part of a few months. Marinette has been growing closer to a friendly feline cat who happened to befriend the raven-haired girl and Adrien has been enjoying the sudden change in Marinette's friendship with him.Will the two finally let their feelings speak for themselves? Guess you have to see!
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Series: Promptly Accurate [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1726573
Comments: 109
Kudos: 306





	1. Concert

Chat Noir strummed the arms of the chaise with his fingertips as he bopped his head to the beat of the music. Marinette had the newest song of Jagged Stone’s unreleased album,  _ Rocker’s Ambition _ , playing over the speaker as she worked with extreme concentration over the design of the album cover. 

The cover was almost complete but felt like her design was missing a crucial little detail and she couldn’t put her finger on it. When she felt like her brain couldn’t think any more, she rolled back in her chair and stretched her arms above her head. The noise of the wheels was low enough to not bother a normal civilian, but when there is a superhero kitty in the room, the noise was enough to make his ears twitch in curiosity.

“Taking a break, Marinette?” Chat said without looking.

Marinette rolled her neck to get the remaining kinks out before turning to Chat. “Yeah. I’m struggling to finish this piece. I think I need some inspiration.”

Chat sat up from his spot and turned his body towards her. “Well, what do you have in  mind? I can take you somewhere if you need some balcony service.” He said with a cheeky grin.

Marinette nodded her head in disbelief before looking at her tack board. When Jagged gave her the commission, he had gifted her with a set of tickets to his next concert. Marinette, of course, was so excited for the gift and she knew exactly who she wanted to invite. 

Normally, she would invite Alya to go with her, but she was leaving to go to a weekend trip with Nino and her family. But she really, really wanted to invite Adrien. Not as a date, though. Okay, maybe as a date. But every time she mustered any ounce of courage to ask him, the world decided to crash and burn around her.

That was how it was almost everyday over the last two weeks. On Friday morning, she had psyched herself up on the walk to school and had made her way to the blond model when she heard Nino and Adrien talk about their weekend plans. That was when she heard it - he didn’t have any plans! Surely, she would be able to ask him now that she knew his calendar was clear. But nothing would matter as she heard his phone rang and saw the sad look to his face when Nathalie reminded him of a last-minute photo shoot that would surely take all weekend to complete.

_ Curse the world. _

The devastation on her face was enough to elicit a curious gaze from Adrien, who happened to turn around a second before she turned on her heel to walk into the school.

Marinette sighed. “Thanks for the offer.”

Chat, being the curious kitten that he is, noticed her gaze at the paper stubs. “It looks like you have an idea. But you’re sad about it. Why?”

Marinette turned to look at him. “Well, Jagged gave me concert tickets for tonight’s show. Alya and Nino are both away from the city so I couldn’t ask them to go, and I was going to ask Adrien if he wanted to come, but then I overheard him telling Nino he had an unscheduled photo shoot that would last all weekend, and that means I couldn’t even bother asking him,” she took in a heavy breath not noticing the wide eyes Chat was giving her, “and now I’m here just working on the album cover because I don’t want to go alone.”

_ She was going to ask me to go? That was really sweet of her to even think about inviting me. She’s so thoughtful and amazing. No wonder why she looked so sad the other day. She still looks sad. Wait, why is she looking at me like that? _

Marinette furrowed her brows as she watched Chat and his animated face. When Chat finally realized she was staring at him, he cleared his throat in  embarrassment .

Before the thought crossed his mind, his mouth beat him to it. “I- I can go with you, if you want.” Marinette tilted her head in confusion. “I mean, if you still want to go and I know I’m in my superhero form, and I can’t change into my civilian form because you’re not allowed to know who I really am, but we can still go and we can hide somewhere so no one can see us, and-”

Marinette could not help but start laughing. Chat looked at her in awe as she snorted in between breaths. Just her face alone made him burst into laughter too. 

“You sound like me when I’m freaking out over something!” She exclaimed in between breaths.

Chat continued to laugh but watched her in awe.  _ She really was something else. And her laugh is just as cute as- wait. Stop it Chat! You’re in love with Ladybug. She’s just your very good, but equally as amazing as  _ _ Ladybug, _ _ friend... _

Chat mentally slapped his brain. He was now comparing Ladybug to Marinette. 

Marinette finally calmed down enough to speak. “You know what Chat? Let’s go. He gave me VIP tickets and we could always hang out in the rafters to keep out of the limelight. We don’t want Hawkmoth using me as a pawn.”

Chat nodded his head in agreement. “Thanks, Marinette.” He rubbed his neck nervously. Why was he nervous all of a sudden? It’s not like this is a date. It’s just two friends hanging out at a concert. “I don’t go to many concerts. Actually, this is only my second one. I’ve only been to one other and I happened to hang out with one of my really awesome friends in my civilian form.”

It was Marinette’s turn to look bemused. “You, the flirtatious and boisterous cat, have only been to one concert?”

Chat remembered the concert ticket he received when they had to work at  _ Le Hotel Paris _ for class. He got to hang out with Marinette that afternoon and it was one of the best times he ever had. He already knew going again with her would most likely be the same way.

“Yeah. Just once. My family doesn’t like concerts, unless you count anything classical.” Chat rolled his eyes. “So, why don’t you get ready and we can head out? I’ll be your personal  _ Catsi  _ driver! I just need to recharge my  kwami first before we go.”

Marinette smiled as she made her way to her closet and picked out a few items. Chat climbed to the balcony to recharge and waited for her knock to indicate she was ready. After letting her parents know that she would be out late, Chat picked her up bridal style and headed over to the arena.

Standing on the catwalk that was hidden within the rafters, Chat couldn’t help but watch Marinette as she rocked and danced over the blaring sounds of the music. She grabbed his hands and started dancing with him, making silly faces to make him laugh. Chat, who didn’t want to be outdone, spun her around and rocked hard to an invisible guitar.

In between songs, Marinette and Chat took a breath and peered over the railing to watch what Jagged had to say before belting out another song. 

She looked over to Chat and saw a cheeky grin spread across his face as he gazed at the stage. His cheerful look only helped the overwhelming feeling that was blooming in her heart. Chat turned and glanced a smile at her and her heartbeat raced as a result. 

“Thanks for coming with me, Chat.” She said as she placed  her head on his shoulder.

Chat wrapped his arm around her waist. “Thanks for inviting me.”


	2. Trust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ladybug sorts through her thoughts but still has time to play a game of Chat and Bug with a trust fall.

Pink streaks from the lingering setting sun danced along the blue and purple skyline. The lights from the buildings started to flicker on in a soft white and yellow glow. Surrounding the monument were lingering tourists making their way back to the neighboring arrondissements before calling it a night. In between it all was Ladybug sitting on top of the Arc de Triomphe, her eyes shut as she listened to the hum of traffic below her. 

The quietness surrounded her in a welcomed embrace. Her thoughts were fleeting in and out of what transpired over the last few months. Adrien, Luka, Chat Noir, Kagami, Alya, Nino, Lila, Chloe, Hawkmoth, Mayura, Master Fu, the guardianship, commissions, bakery work, being a kid, being a superhero – all thoughts that flooded her mind, making her dizzy and tired as she tried to sort it out in front of her. Today was particularly long and hard, and the static noise that played in the background of her thoughts only made her want to run away from it all. But she trudged forward, focusing on what she can while thinking of the more important factors of her life. But right now, the calming hum and slight breeze on this tower was enough to calm her down. That was until the image of a black cat clouded her mind, springing her eyes open as she furrowed her brows. 

The thoughts of Chat enveloped her. From the little bits of information that he had shared with her in both sides of the mask, he seems to have such a sad and sheltered life. She’s always been fond of Chat – he is her best friend after all. _Alya has some fierce competition_ , she joked to herself and giggled at the thought. But she can’t help the little pings of fondness that appear to be doing wonders to her heart. The feeling of longing trying to reach out to her, wanting to help heal whatever pain he hides behind his mask. 

She’s come to realize her thoughts on her partner are starting to overwhelm her, just like the thoughts of Adrien had. The two boys are competing for space in her head and her heart and there are days when she can’t separate the two. It’s like she’s merging them together as one. There were days she wished she could reveal herself to him and hope and pray that he would reveal himself to be one in the same. But she always thwarted those ideas aside. Fear controlled her desires of knowing even if it would only strengthen their bond at this point. Even Wayzz and Tikki thought so. Besides, she couldn’t be _that_ lucky. 

Breathing a sigh of tension out of her chest, Ladybug stood up and launched her yo-yo, whipping her up and out into the now dark skyline. Landing onto the nearest building, she ran to her heart’s content. Seeing the chimney stack ahead of her, she sprinted a little faster, launching herself into cartwheel and backflip combo, stretching both her arms and legs as she vaulted over the flutes. Landing into a squat, she quickly jumped back up into another sprint and hopped over to the next building. 

She felt like she could go for hours. Her mind was continuing to reel with both anxiety and stress. Throwing her thoughts of Chat aside, her mind brought her back to this morning. 

_Marinette arrived to school earlier than normal thanks to an early morning_ _akuma_ _. She was eagerly sketching a steampunk style gown that was inspired by the_ _akuma_ _(_ _sometimes_ _they have good fashion choices – rarely, of course) when she heard the saccharine voice of that lying brat. She was going off about one of the latest modeling jobs Gabriel had signed her up for - some ad for the upcoming Valentine’s Day line that was supposed to be secret. Marinette had muttered to herself and of course Lila just had to hear it. She twisted her words, making Marinette look like the bad guy. Luckily, the class have all but given up on the feud between the two girls, choosing to take no sides and let them work out their problems on their own._

_Trying to take the high road, as Adrien had put it, was becoming harder and harder to do. But Marinette couldn’t sit there and allow the liar to continue. So, she got up with her hand tightened into a fist ready to pounce the liar with some harsh words, only to be pulled out of her dark thoughts when Adrien walked up behind her and placed a calming hand on her shoulder._

Anger started to bubble in Ladybug’s chest when she thought of that moment. She whipped her yo-yo to a balcony when it came into view, using it as a leverage to push her further towards her next destination. The wind whipping against her cheeks felt good and reassuring. Vaulting towards the next arrondissement, the thoughts resumed. But this time, the anger subsided and a smile curled her lips with the reminder of what happened next. 

_“I don’t think my father would be pleased to know you are talking about this. He has been known to fire production crews and designers if a smidgen of word got out regarding a new line.” Adrien said in a tone laced with heavy warning. “That goes for models too.”_

_Lila froze with a glimmer of worry that only Marinette and Adrien caught before she straightened her poise and backtracked with a lame attempt at a lie. A little more bantering between the three transpired before Lila gave up with one last excuse._

A pang of warmth filled Ladybug’s chest. He was finally standing up to Lila. Maybe he realized that the high road wasn’t worth taking anymore. But there was something different about this whole thing. Something that felt familiar and close, yet it still felt so far away. There was an unspoken connection when they looked at each other, blue eyes lost in the emerald greens, which led them to silently nod and smile before retreating back to their seats. 

Ladybug vaulted over another chimney when she heard a set of quick footsteps rushing on the rooftop parallel to hers. Ladybug smirked deviously towards her partner as she hopped over to the next rooftop, inciting a mirroring smirk from him. Nodding to each other in silent understanding, the two raced against the dark skyline. The sound of a baton extending and propelling along with the clang of the yo-yo reverberating in the silent air was all that was heard for the next half hour. 

Ladybug reached the Eiffel Tower first, allotting her a second to retract her disc onto her hip. Chat arrived a second later, breathing heavily in tandem as he watched her every mesmerizing movement. She caught her breath before speaking to Chat. “Do you trust me?” 

“Always, My Lady.” 

Without a moment to think, both Ladybug and Chat Noir hurled themselves off the beam, free falling for a few exhilarating heartbeats before Ladybug grasped onto her partner. She waited for the last possible second before launching her yo-yo to a beam above them. Ladybug tightened her grip and whisked them both back up towards the rafters, right back to the beam they just jumped from. Chat held onto her as they neared the landing, protecting his lady from the hard surface as they rolled along the ground in a tangled mess. The juxtaposition of adrenaline and fear coursed through their veins as they laughed against each other in hefty breaths. 

_Trust._ That was the feeling. That sensation she had felt earlier with Adrien. It was oddly familiar to her partnership with Chat Noir. They worked together in perfect harmony, not being afraid to be tossed around in dangerous situations knowing that they both had each other to fall on. Just like this moment. The cat and mouse chase and free falling into possible oblivion, but yet they both knew they wouldn’t be harmed in any way. It was all based on trust. 

Peering through her lashes as her laughter turned to soft giggles, her resolve softened as she took in Chat’s relaxed form. She thoroughly enjoyed watching Chat in this way. It reminded her again of that overwhelming feeling in her heart that she thought was only reserved for Adrien. The silly cat has snuck his way into her heart and she can’t help but hold onto it as of it would vanish the moment she stopped looking at him. They laid under the stars, relishing in the silent comfort of their company before they went their separate ways for the night. 


	3. Flowers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien bumps into Ladybug after spending some time in a flower shop. A tiny bit of Adrienette if you squint hard enough.

It was unusually warm for a February afternoon, but it wasn’t like Adrien was complaining. He was able to slip away under Gorilla’s watchful eye and made his way down the street with his usual model smile. Plagg was snoring peacefully in his jacket pocket, making the walk a bit more pleasant than normal. Rounding the corner on the 3rd arrondissement, Adrien could see the sign of his go-to florist. 

He figured he had at least an hour before Gorilla would find him, so he had to make each minute count. He needed to order and pick up the gift, find a safe place to transform, leave the gift in one of his usual hiding spots, transform back, and then innocently be ‘found’ by his bodyguard. 

When Ladybug became the guardian, Adrien quickly noticed her tired and dreary state. She arrived at battles with a determined look on her face, but he quickly became aware of the sullen look of her eyes. Having fun during patrols were a way to destress some days, evident in the cat and bug games she’s initiated recently, but there were still moments where serious patrols were exhausting her. He definitely noticed how she spent more times quiet and full of thought than energized and ready to go. At the rate it was going, their partnership would have been affected if something didn’t change. 

Adrien couldn’t bear the thought of Ladybug’s silent suffering. A few days after her malaise began, Adrien thought of a way to cheer his lady up. First, he started by coaxing her to talk about her stress when they had a free moment during patrols, and those conversations rapidly became a part of their routine every time they met. Then, he stepped up with aiding in deciphering lucky charms and coming up with scenarios on how to quickly beat the akumas. This change was one of the better parts of their partnership, and it really strengthened their bond. But the most recent addition in his ever willing need to brighten up her day was surprising her with a bouquet of her favorite light pink peonies. 

But he didn’t do it in the romantic, debonair way. Okay, maybe it was romantic, but he knew he needed to be secretive about it and not let his emotions get the best of him – this was his best friend after all and he didn’t need to push his love for her when she had a million other things going through her mind. Knowing Ladybug’s patrol schedule and routes pretty well, Adrien set the bouquet on one of the rooftops, sitting pretty on a chimney flute on a calm day. He attached a card to the bouquet with a simple green paw print engulfed in a black and left for the afternoon. 

Not even an hour after he left the gift, Chat received a simple message of a heart and kitty emoji to his baton. That was simply unheard of! She never sent him anything more than a quick update of her whereabouts during attacks or patrols. It was even more evident that this was a perfect addition when they met up during an akuma battle the next day and Ladybug was visibly happier. Seeing her smile again was so worth it. 

Adrien had decided that this would be another constant in their partnership. A few weeks later, he did it again. But this time, when he entered the florist shop, he noticed a client order of black baccara roses. Intrigued on how the deep hues reminded him of Ladybug’s suit, he asked what the roses symbolize. Hope and optimism. That was it. He knew he needed to add them to his bouquet. 

From then on, each bouquet was a mix of pink peonies and black baccara roses, given to Ladybug in random spots along her patrol routes every few weeks. The little messages he received shortly after she discovered them always warmed his heart and the continuous bright smile during patrols made it all that much better. 

“Good afternoon, Adrien!” The florist announced as he arrived. “Ordering another bouquet for your lady friend?” 

“Good afternoon, monsieur.” Adrien gleefully replied as he closed the shop’s door. “Yes I am.” 

“I do have to let you know that we don’t have any black baccara roses today. Is there another color you want to replace it with?” 

Adrien twisted his lips as he decided on what to do next. “Can you just change it to a white or yellow rose then?” 

“Can do! Give me a few minutes and I’ll get it ready for you.” 

Adrien nodded his head as he walked around the little shop, marveling at some of the designs he was creating for a couple of weddings this weekend. A bright color crossed his path and Adrien was physically drawn. He never noticed the orange roses before. Was it something new? 

The shopkeeper looked up and noticed Adrien deep in thought. “Those are new. We had a wedding a few weeks ago that requested orange flowers in their color scheme.” He pinched the bouquet together to make sure it looked marvelous before pinning them with a ribbon. “We had a few customers come in and request them since then, so now we keep them in stock.” 

“What does it symbolize?” 

“Some say it is a subtler meaning of love emerging from friendship. Others say it’s an enthusiastic way to present love, thanks, friendship, or congratulations. It all depends on how you present the rose.” 

Adrien thought over the meaning. Ever since he started buying flowers, his interest in learning their meanings started to grow. _Friends to lovers? Interesting._ Adrien moved from his position and trailed over to another set of flowers in its bin. Pink and red peonies. He remembered that they are one of the most important flowers in Chinese culture. Pink peonies mean most beautiful while the red means honor and respect. _Marinette._

Thoughts over Marinette washed over him. She’s also been quiet and distant lately. She makes time for her friends, but her thoughts seem fleeting and she’s been so withdrawn. _Does she even make time for herself?_ It also doesn’t seem like Lila is stopping her antics towards her. It’s like his little threat did nothing to shake her into leaving Marinette alone. 

Adrien was sick of it. His father won’t listen to him in regards to his “new muse”, stating that Adrien was making a big deal over teenage drama. But he knew that Marinette deserved better than that. She shouldn’t have to take the high road when the road led to a manipulative, sausage-haired brat. He should have never muttered those words. So now he’s taking matters into his own hands. 

With some encouragement from Plagg, Adrien keeps an eye on the liar. If he sees her trying to antagonize Marinette, he interferes between the two, knocking Lila off her high horse and making sure Marinette wasn’t harmed or bothered. She deserved a friend to stand up alongside her, and that’s what he planned on doing from now on. 

“Monsieur?” Adrien asked as he walked to the florist. 

“Yes, Adrien? Your bouquet is ready by the way.” 

“Thanks. Would you mind making another small bouquet? I can come back and get it in a few minutes, but I was wondering if you could make a bouquet of red and pink peonies and with some of the orange roses mixed in?” 

The florist smiled. “Another young lady friend? Those are some symbolic flowers to give to someone that’s just a friend.” 

He could hear Plagg sniggering over the comment. He slapped his chest, like a bee had just stung him before scratching at the spot. Adrien cleared his throat. “Yeah, she’s this awesome girl who needs a little pick me up too. The flowers remind me of her.” 

The florist twisted his lips to stifle a laugh, and rung Adrien out for the two bouquets. Waving goodbye to deliver the first set, Adrien didn’t notice the girl that happened to walk right in front of him as he made his way out the door. 

They crashed into each other, both falling onto the ground in a jumbled mess, the girl rubbing her head as Adrien soothed the pain on his bottom. They both apologized quickly before realizing who each other was. 

“L- Ladybug?” 

“Adrien?” 

Adrien was the first to get back to his feet. He grasped Ladybug’s hands to help her up then bent over to pick up the bouquet of flowers that fell on the ground beside them. “Are you okay? I’m so sorry. I wasn’t paying attention! You’re not hurt, are you?” 

Ladybug blushed. “No-No. You’re fine! I mean, I’m fine. Not that you’re not fine, I’m just saying- ugh.” Ladybug puckered her lips to stop talking. “Don’t worry about it. I’m fine. Are you okay?” 

“I’m okay. Don’t worry about me.” 

Ladybug looked down to the flowers. Some of the white petals had bruised when it hit the ground. “Those flowers are beautiful. It looks like a few were damaged though.” 

Adrien looked down and pursed his lips. He just had to thank his lucky stars that there was an issue with his usual order and that him having this specific bouquet in his untransformed state wouldn’t give away his secret identity. 

But then a thought crossed his mind. He never got to see the look on Ladybug’s face when she finds the hidden bouquets. And he did feel bad for knocking into her... 

“Here.” Adrien said as he handed her the bouquet. “It’s the least I can do for knocking over the savior of Paris.” 

Ladybug furrowed her brows. “Oh, I can’t take that. Didn’t you just buy it for someone?” _Probably the girl he’s in love with_ , Marinette said to herself. “I wouldn’t want to take something that you bought for someone else.” 

“Don’t worry about it. Plus, I just ordered a second bouquet for one of my amazing friends and I’m going to go back and grab it soon. So please. Let me make it up to you for not paying attention and knocking you over.” 

Marinette blushed a color that paled in comparison to her suit and hesitantly grabbed the bouquet. A warm smile spread to her lips as she brought the petals to her nose, sniffing the wonderful fragrance. Adrien smiled back. The look on her face warmed his heart. He was glad this happened this way. 

“Thank you, Adrien.” Ladybug went on her tippy toes and placed a chaste kiss to his cheek. “They’re beautiful. I hope that your amazing friend enjoys her special bouquet, too.” 

“She means a lot to me. I hope she loves it.” 

There was a slight pang in her chest as he mentioned the girl in his sweet tone. Marinette waved him goodbye as she whisked away to finish her route. 

* * *

Later that evening, Marinette walked into the bakery, ready to help her parents clean up from the afternoon rush. 

“Oh honey, a cute boy came by and brought something for you.” Sabine relayed without looking up from her spot. 

Marinette stood there confused. “A cute boy? Who?” 

Sabine smirked as she nudged her head towards the vase on the table. Marinette eyes widened. A beautiful bouquet of flowers sat in a glass vase with a thick red ribbon wrapped beautifully around the stems. Beside the vase was a white envelope with Marinette’s name written in perfect cursive. 

She recognized the handwriting, but was terrified to be wrong. Marinette opened the envelope carefully, trembling a bit as she pulled out the card, allowing herself breathe and risk ripping the envelope in haste. 

_Marinette, I’m sorry I wasn’t able to give you this in person, but your mother wasn’t sure when you would be back and I really wanted to give these to you today. I was in the flower shop and found these beautiful orange roses beside the red and pink peonies and they made me think of you. I just wanted to let you know that I’m here for you whenever you need someone to talk to and I’ll always be here to help you. You’re amazing and deserve the world. You’re our everyday Ladybug. Always, Adrien._

Marinette spent the rest of the evening eyeing the bouquets on her table – the two she received today from Adrien along with the ones that Chat had given her over the last few weeks (now dried and ready to be stowed away). How could she be lucky enough to have two equally amazing boys in her life? 

She smiled. “Tikki?” 

“Yes, Marinette?” 

“I love them both.” 


	4. Your Voice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien is entranced with Marinette and her voice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is a day late! My girls had a wrestling tournament and I spent most of my day away. Hopefully I will get the next chapter out this afternoon!

Marinette sat up from her bed exhausted from the sleep that never came. She spent most of the night trying to separate her thoughts between Adrien and Chat. To say that she didn’t feel something for either boy would be a lie, especially since she admitted it to Tikki the night before, but she couldn’t lie to herself that she has felt more confused than she has in weeks. 

In her superhero form, Chat had been sprinkling in his sweet charm, filling her heart with so much warmth and love that she couldn’t imagine a life where he wasn’t around, and even though it was an accident, the sweetness Adrien provided with those beautiful flowers really brightened up the soft spot in her heart. Then in her civilian form, Chat has started to become a companion and friend when she needed someone the most while Adrien has swooped in and stood alongside her when her temper started to get the better of her against Lila. 

In the end, both boys were trying to kill her with love and kindness that she has no idea what to do. 

Tikki uttered a sigh of frustration. “Again, I think the only way you will solve this unknown is if you find out Chat Noir’s identity. Then you can see whether or not they are one in the same and if not, then you can figure out what to do from there.” 

“Are you saying that he is or that he isn’t the same? Because it sounds like you want me to find out so I can stop moping around because maybe Adrien is Chat and that’s why you are so calm about everything!” Marinette responded in a frustrated tone. 

“I’m saying nothing of the sort. All I’m saying is that you have every right to know who the miraculous user of the black cat is since you are the guardian and not knowing is eating at you from the inside.” 

Marinette scowled at Tikki momentarily forcing herself to move away from the conversation. This was not something she wanted to discuss about this early in the morning. 

She made her way to her desk, touching the flower petals from each bouquet so softly afraid they would fall and break if she pressed them too hard. She noticed the way each bouquet looked fairly the same, only adding fuel to the thoughts that surrounded her. She wanted to pretend that Chat Noir and Adrien used the same florist, but something eating at her is telling her something else. 

Diminishing those thoughts, Marinette made her way to get ready for the day. She didn’t want to think about the two boys, knowing that just doing so would tear her apart. So, for today, she would just try to focus on the day ahead and just enjoy the happier thoughts for now. She needed to prep herself to talk to Adrien anyways; the thoughtful flowers needed to be thanked for and acting like a stuttering mess would not be in the cards. She soon found herself thinking back to the flowers, unconsciously humming an utterly sweet tune in the process. 

No matter how much she tried, it seemed that the flowers, the blond boy with green eyes and a model smile, and a blond boy with silly puns and cat ears stayed on her mind most of the morning. She continued to hum as she made her way downstairs, prompting a smirk from both her parents. She hummed on the way to school, only stopping long enough to have a meaningful conversation between her friends. As she broke away from the girls, the soft hum started back up again. 

Adrien was standing near the group of girls, talking to Nino and Kim about the race in PE when Adrien heard the soft sound. He looked up and wandered away to follow the tune, completely ignoring the conversation midsentence. Kim and Nino looked to each other in confusion, heads tilted over the abruptness of his departure. Alya watched the interaction, eyebrows perked as she saw Adrien make his way towards the locker room. 

When Adrien turned the corner, Marinette was standing at her locker, looking radiant and calm, something he hadn’t seen in some time. The thoughts washed through him again, making his heart flutter. Making his way quietly towards the raven-haired girl, he could see the smile spreading across her face, her soft eyes glowing with happiness. 

Marinette closed her locker and turned her head, jumping a bit to see Adrien standing a few centimeters away. “Adrien.” She announced easily, her voice just as soft as her eyes. 

“Hey, Marinette. I-” Adrien just realized how weird this might have been. He followed her from the hallway just to hear her hum. “I, uh...” 

Marinette giggled. She felt brave. He brought her those flowers last night, there’s no mistake about that. She can be just as brave. 

“My maman told me a cute boy brought by flowers last night.” Adrien blushed. “She wasn’t wrong.” She cupped his cheek and placed a chaste kiss to his cheek. Doing it as Ladybug was one thing, but doing it as her civilian self was another. “Thank you for thinking of me. They’re absolutely beautiful.” 

Adrien pressed his fingers to his cheek, brushing the lingering sensation of her kiss. “You-you’re welcome, Marinette. Like I said in the note, if you need anyone to lean on or to protect you or to talk to, you can always count on me. I mean it.” 

The first bell rang startling them both. Marinette grabbed Adrien’s hand and squeezed it. “I will. Thanks for standing by me when Lila tried to attack me. You have no idea how much that meant to me.” 

Not wanting to let her hand go, Adrien twisted his hand and intertwined his fingers with hers. It was her turn to blush but she didn’t turn away. “I’ll walk you to class?” 

Marinette nodded and allowed Adrien to guide her. She mentally thanked herself for prepping well this morning, especially seeing that she was able to speak to him without stammering. Then allowing him to hold her hand this way? Never in a million years would she be able to do it without melting into a puddle. Externally, she was completely fine, cool, and collective. Internally, though, she was a raging mess, confused as heck as to why Adrien has all of a sudden ‘found’ her, and is now treating her differently than the friendship he’s always claimed to have. Did he think this was another friendly thing to do? Or is he actually seeing her in a different light? Whatever this is, she is just going to relish in it now and scream into her pillow later. 

Upon entering the class, all eyes were on the two seemingly innocent friends. Alya stared wide-eyed while Nino adjusted his cap. Lila scowled and Mylene, Rose, and Juleka let out a loud gasp. Alix and Kim were ready to exchange money when they heard Chloe grunt in anger. 

“What is this!” Chloe huffed. “Adrikins. Why are you holding her hand?” 

Adrien looked down at their intertwined hands and shrugged. Marinette felt a little embarrassed and started to remove her fingers when Adrien held her hand a bit tighter. “I didn’t realize I needed a reason to hold Marinette’s hand.” 

“You want to deal yourself with this... with this commoner? She’s beneath you!” She hissed. 

Adrien was seeing red. “The only thing that’s beneath me, Chloe, is your attitude. I suggest you change it.” 

Chloe was taken back and confused over the anger. She had never seen him angry before. She murmured her “utterly ridiculous” before sitting back down, everyone now scowling at her over her gross words. Adrien turned to Marinette and noticed her coil into herself, tears threatening to fall at the corner of her eyes. Not skipping a beat, Adrien picked wrapped her into a hug until the tension in her shoulders dropped. “I told you I would be here for you. To protect you and to talk to. Okay?” 

Marinette nodded in return. “Thank you,” she said so softly only Adrien could hear, “for standing up for me.” 

* * *

When free period came, Marinette made her way to the art room, looking to be mostly alone with people who didn’t speculate or criticize her. She walked into the classroom and noticed it was empty, letting out a breath of relief at the notion of being freely alone. 

She took out her sketch book and put on a playlist, humming along as she sketched. Most of the time, her sketchbook was filled with designs from the atmosphere around her, jotting down ideas that inspire her in their element. Other times, like right now, she would sketch whatever came into her mind, mindlessly dumping any anxiety or sadness that was hidden beneath the veneer. Humming mindlessly to the first song, she started to sketch the flowers that sat on her desk. She closed her eyes and visually remembered them, drawing whatever she could grasp while simultaneously bringing back the happiness that surrounded her this morning. 

A few minutes in, her hand was relaxed and the tension in her shoulders were gone. A new song crossed her playlist and couldn’t help but sing along with the lyrics. 

Exiting the library, Adrien made his way to the bathroom when he heard the voice. The sound intrigued him in the same way the hum entranced him earlier and he made his way to follow it. Glancing towards the open door, he noticed Marinette sitting peacefully at the table, pencil moving in quick strokes while she sang sweetly alongside the music that played through her earbuds. Every so often, she would stop singing and poke her tongue out the side of her mouth in sheer concentration, finishing whatever line she was currently working on. She would then shift in her seat and start singing again. 

Adrien couldn’t move as he was captivated by her voice. The sounds emanating from her were sweet and heavenly. Adrien has heard her sing before during the Jagged Stone concert, but it was rock music and it was while he was Chat Noir, so hearing her as Adrien and singing something calming was both intriguing and enjoyable. He hovered at the door as he watched her closely, reveling in the music that came from her lungs. 

Nathaniel and Alix made their way back to the art room, but noticed the model standing at the doorway. They both watched him closely, chuckling to themselves as they witnessed Adrien’s trademark heart eyes, the ones he only made towards Marinette. 

Marinette stopped to admire her work when she felt a presence in the doorway. She looked up and noticed Adrien smiling resulting in a loud squeak from her as she removed the earbuds from her ears. 

Adrien instantly realized what he had been doing, prompting an onslaught of incoherent words in a jumbled-up mess. Marinette could only blush and giggle, fearing that if she were to say something to him it would come out the same. Rubbing his neck nervously, he breathed out to mentally prepare his next sentence, getting it out completely and coherently. “You have a really pretty voice, Marinette. You know... playing the piano can get lonely sometimes. Maybe you would want to get together and do a duet with me?” Adrien blushed. “I mean, as friends, right? I mean, it would be cool, and a duet with your voice and my piano would sound so nice, and... ugh.” _Okay, so not completely free of idiocy._

Marinette blushed. “Yea- yeah. That sounds nice. As. Friends...” 

Adrien mentally slapped himself. “I’ve got to go. I’ll see you later?” 

Marinette smiled sadly. “I’ll see you later.” 

Adrien turned to see Alix and Nathaniel, arms crossed and looking amused. Adrien just groaned as he made his way towards the bathroom. 


	5. Comfort

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Plagg comforts Adrien and Chat comforts Marinette.

Adrien spent most of the afternoon staring at the computer screen mindlessly scrolling through social media. His homework sat idly on the table beside him, half-filled answers written in between the three subjects of homework that needed to be completed by tomorrow. He sighed heavily. His mind erratic with thoughts trying to understand why his mind had malfunctioned all day. 

First it was with Nino and Kim, which caused quite a teasing from them. Then it was with Alya after he walked in to the classroom holding her hand. Then Chloe had to be Chloe and cause such a scene. Alix and Nathaniel eyed him the rest of the day, mocking him with kitten eyes whenever he turned their way. 

Finally, there was Marinette. She was so adorable with her constant blush. And the little flirting she did earlier? The kiss on the cheek? Grabbing his hand? Where did that all come from? Why was he so flustered all of a sudden? 

“I can hear you think.” Mumbled Plagg from his spot on the couch. 

“Sorry, Plagg.” 

“Kit. Why are you moping?" 

“Do you really want to know?” 

“Not really but if you don’t talk about it, you’re just going to sit there all afternoon doing _that_ , and it’s cutting into my cheese date.” 

Adrien spun his chair around, leaning his head against the headrest. “I thought I was in love with Ladybug. I mean, I still am, but I know she will never want anything more than a friendship. But is Marinette more than just a friend to me? I value her so much more than that, but is it fair? Is it like I’m making her out as second best?” 

Plagg floated up to his chosen and sat on his shoulder. “Listen, I know you want Ladybug to love you the way you love her, but do you think there is any reason she would change?” Adrien shook his head dejectedly. “You seem to really like Marinette. You bought her flowers, held her hand, hugged her, protected her from Lila the other day and Chloe today. You even asked her to play a duet with you out of nowhere, which sounded like a date by the way, until you decided to say ‘as friends’ which only made her sound sad. At least that’s how I heard it through your shirt.” 

Adrien sat up almost knocking Plagg off his shoulder. “I did make it sound like a date, didn’t I? Then I took it back! I can’t believe I messed that up.” 

“Are you saying that you want to take Marinette out on a date?” 

A ding rang on his computer and he turned to see what it was. It was a notification on one of the social media sites where Marinette posted a picture of a dress she was in the middle of designing. It was a gorgeous red steampunk dress with a corset top. It had some black lace in several parts of the corset and there looks to be something forming where the skirt and top meet. Adrien cooed before liking the photo and commenting how amazing it’s already turning out. When he turned around, remembering he had left mid conversation yet again, he saw a scowling kwami floating in front of him with his arms crossed. 

Adrien shrunk into his chair, looking sheepishly at him. 

“And you were saying?” Plagg said in irritation. 

“Okay. Okay. Maybe I want to take her out on a date. Maybe I like her more than a friend. Maybe I have feelings for her. But it still doesn’t make me feel good knowing that I’m going after her since I can’t be with Ladybug.” 

“Just because you still love Ladybug, doesn’t mean you can’t love someone else. How does Marinette make you feel? Is there a difference between how Ladybug makes you feel and how Marinette makes you feel?” 

Adrien pondered a moment. Ladybug has this fierceness about her that takes his breath away. She’s strong, courageous, and willing to do whatever it takes for Paris. Her giggles when she enjoys one of his puns, her eyes shine like sapphires when she figures out her lucky charm, and her kindness when mistakes happen – all those parts of her make his heart soar whenever they are together. 

Marinette was also just as fierce. She handles so much on her plate with being the class representative, running her own online store, dealing with Chloe and Lila, trying to make sure that everyone is involved in one way or another, helping out her family in the bakery... and then she’s got eyes that are as blue as the ocean; it makes you want to dive in and soak in it. And her laugh, her cute blush, she’s so creative and perfect, and when she gets excited, she has this adorable butt wiggle, and whenever she gets excited or nervous her words go a million miles a minute and stumbles on her words, and... and... 

It hit him like a ton of bricks. 

“Plagg?” Adrien said slowly and with hesitation, his eyes wide with realization. “I think. I think I really like her.” 

Plagg smirked. “Not sure which girl you’re talking about, kit.” 

“I think I’m in love with Marinette.” 

* * *

Marinette sighed as she placed her sketchbook down on her chair. She curled herself up as she wrapped her arms around her legs and tugged on her pant leg to fix the bunching that was irritating her calf. Tikki noticed her chosen’s dismay, zipping from the potted plant that was sitting in the sun. 

“Marinette?” 

“Hmm?” She mumbled without looking. 

“Are you okay? I thought that this was what you were waiting for?” 

Marinette sat and looked sullen. Tikki wasn’t wrong; she has been waiting for Adrien to notice her since the day she fell in love with him. Yes, she loved every second of Adrien holding her hand, protecting her from Chloe, hugging her when the tears started to flow, and asking her to do a duet with him, but it seems like the only thing he wants from it is to remain friends. At least that’s what he said today. And if that’s any confirmation of how he views them together, then why should she continue. 

“He only did that as a friend, Tikki. You heard him. Yeah, he said my voice sounded great, but when he asked me to sing alongside him, it sounded like he wanted to ask me out, like a date, but then he said ‘as friends’,” she mocked his voice as she air quoted, “and he ran out of there all flustered. How am I supposed to feel about that? I seriously don’t even know how to process this.” 

Marinette started to sniffle, holding back the tears that were threatening to spill over. “Why would I ever be so dumb to think that Adrien would even like me that way. And then on top of it, I’ve been turning down the one boy that I know loves me all because my heart belongs to Adrien.” She rubbed her eye with the back of palm. The tears had finally broken through and trickled down her face. “It’s stupid. It’s foolish of me to ever think I could love someone who loves me back for me. Because no matter which way I turn, I end up being too late.” 

She buried her face into her arms as they relaxed on her knees and sobbed until she couldn’t cry anymore. Tikki sat quietly beside her chosen, watching out for any akumas that may be heading for her. Tikki then felt a presence, turning over and hiding when she caught a glimpse of who lurked on the roof. 

“Marinette?” Chat questioned with panic as he jumped down to her balcony. “Marinette? Are you okay? Are you hurt? Did someone hurt you?” 

Marinette continued to cry, nodding a yes, no, no to his questions. Without hesitating, Chat pulled Marinette from her spot and wrapped his arms around her tightly. He shushed a calming noise in her ear and he clawed soothing strokes in her untied hair, waiting until the hiccups turned to soft breaths and the last of the sobs were leveled out to quiet tears. When Marinette was ready, she pulled herself away from Chat, sniffling into her palm as Chat pulled a tissue from his hand. Marinette graciously accepted it. 

“I’m sorry, Chat. You didn’t have to do that. I’m just a mess right now.” 

Marinette apologizing for crying? “No. No, princess. Please don’t apologize. Any reason to cry your feelings out is a good reason as any. I don’t know who did this to you, but I’m here if you need a shoulder to cry on. I can keep an eye out for akumas if you need to just let go for a bit. I’m here.” 

Marinette lunged herself back into Chat’s arms, wrapping her arms around his neck. “Thank you. You have no idea how much I needed to cry right now.” 

Chat wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly until she let go. “Do you want to talk about it? 

She sniffled again. Could she talk about this to him? If her speculation was right and Adrien and Chat are one in the same, then he would figure it out in a heartbeat. But if he wasn’t, then maybe this could be a way for her to sort out her feelings. The feeling of fear started to creep back up her spine making her feel nauseous from the anxiety. 

“Not really, Chat. I just had a rough and confusing day.” That would be enough to both intrigue him but not give away too much. “I just needed a good cry to sort out my feelings.” 

Chat frowned and turned to the skyline. The blue haze from the day has now turned into a pink and purple mess with golden streaks throughout. “I’m sorry you had a rough day. I hope that if there is a ‘who’ in the mix that caused this, they realize that you crying is a _cat_ astrophe.” 

Marinette chuckled at the pun which then made Chat smile. She decided to bite the bullet and take a chance at this. “There is this boy I like. I’ve mentioned him before. He’s so sweet, and caring, and he’s been so protective over me lately. I thought maybe, just maybe, he started feeling something towards me. Maybe I had my hopes up. Then he asked me to accompany him as he played his instrument, and I was so excited, until he added the dreaded ‘as friends’ line.” She paused for a moment, trying to stop the tears that were forming again. “I guess it’s just easier to say that it broke me a little.” 

Chat looked at her in shock. _He broke her spirit? She wanted it to be a date? She wants us to be more than friends? Oh god, I’m a jerk! I shouldn’t have added that line!_

“Chat? Chat! What’s wrong?” 

Chat shook his head. “Sorry, I didn’t expect you to tell me. You said you didn’t want to talk about it.” He rubbed his neck nervously. “What did he do after he said that?” 

Marinette frowned as she recalled the moment. “He ran off.” She whispered so low that Chat had strained to hear her. “It made me think that everything he did today was all a mistake. I just had my hopes up. I‘m stupid enough to think that maybe he loved me too.” 

_She loved him? She loved him! Marinette Dupain-Cheng loves me, Adrien Agreste! And I love her too! Oh my gosh, this is the happiest day of my life. Wait, no. She’s so heartbroken! What am I going to do?_

“You’re not stupid, Marinette. Don’t' settle yourself short. But maybe... do you think that he added it accidentally? Like maybe it was out of nervousness? 

Marinette wiped the stray tear away and thought about it. “Maybe? I don’t know. He was a jumbled up mess. Maybe he didn’t mean to say it.” She started to perk up a smidgen. “I guess I’ll just wait and see tomorrow on how he acts towards me. Maybe I’ll just play it by ear. I don’t want to spook him or anything.” 

“Why don’t you just message him? It’s still pretty early. Maybe he’s awake?” 

“No. I won’t do that. I can’t do that. I’m already a hot mess whenever I’m around him. The last thing I need to do is try to sort out my feelings when I don’t know how he truly feels about me.” 

“Maybe he’ll come around, Marinette. Just give him time.” 

“Yeah, you’re right Chat. I will.” She pulled him into a hug. “Thank you for listening to me. But if you don’t mind, I need to get back inside before it gets too late. I have homework I couldn’t concentrate on that’s due tomorrow and I’m willing to bet that you have some yourself. Good night Chat.” 

“Good night, Marinette.” 


	6. AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An akuma causes the entirety of Paris to be changed into Disney characters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The story stays the same. The alternate universe only happens during the entirety of the akuma battle.

Adrien groaned to the sound of his alarm. His hand fumbled around the bed in search of the dreaded rings, finally finding it beneath his pillow. Turning off the sound, Adrien covered his eyes with his arm to drown out the light coming in from the windows. Thoughts of the raven-haired girl crossed his mind again. Well, it wasn’t like he stopped thinking about her. He barely slept a wink while his mind replayed the entire day on a loop. The way she smiled, her braveness, the tears, sobs, and giggle. The way she said she liked Adrien put a smile on his face, but the shattered pieces she laid on her balcony thinking he didn’t feel the same way broke him too. 

Adrien didn’t want to think that Marinette was second best. She didn’t deserve that title. She was worth so much more than that. But how was he to feel when he loved Ladybug for so long? It was funny how all of a sudden, Marinette just came in and swept him off his feet like she has. It’s like she had this supernatural power about her that just draws people in. _It wouldn’t be the first time someone fell head over heels for her,_ he thought. _Nathaniel, Nino, Luka... and now me?_

Adrien turned his head and noticed that Plagg was nowhere in sight. “Hey Plagg?” Adrien called out. “Plagg? I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I need some advice again.” 

After a few moments of silence, Adrien shot up from his bed. “Pla-” A heaviness was felt from his head. He ran his hand through his hair and realized his messy golden locks were longer than the night before. So long in fact that they trickled down his back, spread across the length of his bed, and fell into a neat pile on the floor. He then noticed his room looked smaller than he remembered, focusing on the stone veneer in the round room. “What the- What is this?!” He yelled. “Plagg! Plagg? Where are you?” 

Adrien climbed out of his bed nervously. He searched around the room, careful not to trip on his freakishly long locks. “What in Disney hell is going on here?” Sitting on the bench that was where the couch would usually sit was a black kitten with green eyes staring intently back at him. “Plagg? Is that you?” The kitten blinked its eyes. “What is going on?” 

Adrien noticed the tv was missing so he grabbed his phone out of his pocket and turned on the news. Nadja Chamack was on the camera looking like fair maiden. “Don’t be amused, it’s just the news. An akuma by the name of Queen Mean has taken over Paris turning everyone and everything into the characters in the Disney realm.” Adrien scowled at the television. Princesses, kings, and queens were walking around. There were animals talking to each other. A few cars had turned into carriages. Buildings have been changed into homes relating to certain time frames. Then he saw a swarm of sweeping brooms cleaning the streets downtown. 

Adrien looked down at his hair and grumbled under his breath. “Great. Now I’m being mocked by an akuma. Rapunzel? Really? Is my life such a mirror to that movie? Why couldn’t I have been Eugene? No. I just had to be Rapunzel...” 

Fear struck him as the news drawled on. “Marinette? Oh no. Marinette! Plagg? What if something happened to her?” He looked down at the kitten and then groaned. “I can’t even change into Chat! What am I going to do?” 

He ran over to the door to find a way to leave and noticed it was locked and barricaded. He picked up his phone again to message Marinette, Nino, and Alya to see if his friends were okay. After a few minutes with no responses, an uneasy feeling settled in his stomach. 

Adrien happened to look up and notice the spotted heroine running on the rooftop across from him. Adrien ran towards the window, tripping over a strand of silky hair in his path. Finally making it to the window, Adrien called out to her. “Ladybug!” 

Ladybug turned and swung her yo-yo to his window. “Adrien? What happened to you? Why is your home a tower?” 

“I don’t know? I woke up and was turned into Rapunzel.” 

Ladybug stifled a laugh, which only made Adrien scowl at her. “Great, now I’m being laughed at.” 

“No. No. I’m sorry. You just look cute with long hair, that’s all.” Ladybug stopped and pressed her lips together as she blushed a color close to her suit. “Sorry.” She squeaked. 

He sensed her uneasiness. “It is _kind_ _of_ funny.” He rubbed his neck as he thought of a way to change the subject. “You must be the epiphany of lady luck if you were able to avoid being changed into a princess.” 

Ladybug tilted her head. “Actually, I was changed, but not into a princess. Luckily, _pun intended_ , I was transformed into a Mulan version of myself.” 

“Of course, she’s your perfect mirror.” Adrien said with one of his model smiles. 

Ladybug could see something was wrong. His smile wasn’t genuine; he looked a weird mix of worry and annoyed. “I want to ask you if you are okay, because I can see that you’re not, but I have to capture this akuma and change everyone back.” 

_She caught me._ “You’re right, I’m not. I’m worried about my friend, Marinette, and I can’t even leave my room to find her. My door is locked and none of my friends are responding.” Adrien felt as defeated as he looked. He hugged himself as he whispered. “I hope she’s okay.” 

Ladybug smiled at the comment. “She’s fine. I happened to see her when I tried to follow the akuma. She looks like she’s a warrior of some kind so I bet she’s safe from anyone endangering her.” 

Adrien relaxed at her words. “Do you mind getting me out of this tower? I want to check up on my other friends, too.” 

Ladybug nodded and reached out to grab him. He looked at her, then to his cat ( _when did he get a cat?_ Ladybug thought), and grabbed him before going back to Ladybug’s outstretched arm. 

Adrien smiled sheepishly. “I don’t go anywhere without him now. He’s my... he’s my companion cat! Yeah. Kind of like companion dogs, but I can’t have a dog, so I got a cat instead. Ha-ha, ha. Ha.” 

Ladybug tilted her head in confusion, shrugged it off, then with a flick of her wrist she whisked the three of them out his window. “Go find your friends. You’re sweet to think of them before yourself. Especially with 21 meters worth of hair trailing you.” She kissed his cheek. “You know, you are just as brave as Chat Noir. Never stop being brave.” She said as she whisked away. 

All of a sudden, a flash of white surrounded him. He was lifted off the ground and a loud crackle could be heard. A moment later, he was dropped back onto the ground with Plagg now floating in front of his face. Adrien got up and noticed his hair was now back to its normal length and the tower had changed back to the mansion. 

“Kissing breaks the spell?” He said as he turned to Plagg. Plagg shrugged his shoulders, not knowing where to go from here besides the obvious. “Doesn’t matter. I need to go find Ladybug. Plagg, claws out!” 

* * *

Ladybug scoured the vicinity as she watched the akuma work. She hears the tapping of Chat’s boots as he landed beside her. “Chat. I was worried about you. Did you get turned into an actual cat or something?” 

Chat rolled his eyes. “No, actually I was turned into a handsome prince, thank you very much. But I’m here now. It just took a while because my kwami had changed too. How about you, bugaboo?” 

“I was turned into Mulan. Tikki wasn’t affected since she was hanging out in the miracle box at the time. I was lucky with that. I could still change into Ladybug as soon as she zipped out of it.” 

Adrien sighed. “What have you figured out? I found out how to change someone back to normal.” 

“I figured out that the akuma is in her staff. See? She reminds me of Maleficent.” She furrowed her brows. “How do people change back?” 

“Kissing. Not sure if it’s true loves kiss, or just kissing in general, but I was able to transform back.” 

Ladybug felt a pang of jealousy. Shaking her head from the feeling, she whipped her yo-yo at a building near the akuma. “Come on, Chat. We have an akuma to beat.” 

* * *

After a half hour of battle, Marinette walked out of the bakery with a treat bag in her hand. She still looked despondent, still feeling the lingering sadness from yesterday along with the now lingering pang of jealousy. Why does this have to be so hard? 

“Marinette?” A voice called out from the gray sedan pulling up beside her. Adrien opened the door, not waiting for the car to come to a complete stop. “Hey.” 

“Hey,” Marinette said softly. “Grabbing a bite to eat?” 

“No. I actually came to talk to you. Wait, Marinette, what’s wrong? You didn’t get hurt during the akuma did you? Ladybug told me you were fine. I should have tried to find you. I’m so sorry.” 

Marinette looked at him with so much love. She pulled him into a hug, both to help stop his ramblings and just for even thinking of her like this. While it was still confusing, she couldn’t help the overwhelming feeling that was building up inside her. 

Adrien returned the hug, wrapping his arms around her waist and leaning his cheek on her head. “I’m here for as long as you need me.” They stayed there for a long time until Marinette felt comfortable enough to pull back. 

“Sorry. I just had a rough night. I didn’t sleep very well.” 

“I know the feeling.” Adrien said calmly. “Are you okay? Do you want to talk about it?” 

“No. But I’ll be okay eventually.” Adrien stared back at her knowingly. “I know I can come to you, but it’s something I have to figure out myself.” 

Adrien grasped her hand lightly, interlacing his fingers with hers. He waited a moment to see if she would pull back, especially since he now knew how she really felt about him. Adrien smiled when she didn’t pull away and asked if they could talk before school started. She agreed and made their way towards the school, hands still clasped together. 

His mind was clearer now. After the akuma, Adrien raced back home and finished getting ready and finally asked Plagg for advice. While it was all cheese metaphors, Plagg helped him understand his standpoint between the two girls. His fear of Marinette getting hurt by the akuma only contributed to his growing awareness of his love for her. Marinette was not second best. She was not an afterthought. Marinette came into his life and opened up his heart at the very moment he needed her to. 

Ladybug will always be his first love; that will never change or go away. She was the reason he understood what loving someone was. But Marinette gave him the chance to understand what loving someone who loves you back truly meant. She made him understand how to love all the bits and pieces of someone’s life that no one else in the world knows. She understands the power of freedom, the power or kindness, and the power of giving. She’s not afraid to show herself in her own Marinette way. She’s brave and beautiful and everything in between, and wanting to love and understand everything that hasn’t been shared with him yet will be like a treasure that has yet to be found. 

Adrien guided her to the bench and gestured for her to sit. “Do you want to sit?” Marinette nodded her head. As soon as she sat down, she pulled out a croissant and handed one to Adrien. “Is that your breakfast?” 

“I have an extra one in here. Please, take it.” She smiled. Adrien grabbed the croissant and nibbled at the end and she grabbed another for herself. “So, what did you want to talk about?” 

Adrien swallowed hard. “I wanted to apologize for how I acted yesterday. I should have never asked you to do the duet with me.” Marinette stopped eating and slowly laid the croissant down to her lap. Her head lopped down slightly and Adrien could see a tiny tear stroll down her cheek. 

“No, no! Marinette, no. Please don’t cry. That’s not what I meant.” Marinette refused to look up, afraid of what he was going to say next. He let out an exhaustive sigh. “No. What I mean is, I should have never asked you to do the duet with me as friends. I got so flustered yesterday that it came out all wrong.” 

Marinette finally had the courage to look up at him, her eyes red-rimmed from the heat of the unshed tears. 

Adrien pulled Marinette into a side hug, rubbing soothing circles up and down her arm. “What I’m trying to say is, I want to take you out on a proper date. Not one where we just sing and play against the tune of the piano. I want to take you out to dinner, maybe a movie, or walk the Seine or see the sights at the Eiffel Tower, and then maybe we could do the duet. But only if that’s what you want.” 

Marinette looked up at him in both wonder and confusion. “But... what about the other girl? You said you were in love with someone else when you drove me back home from the wax museum.” 

“Yes, I did say that. And that’s because I was in love with someone back then. As a matter of fact, I still do, but I love her as my best friend. You’ve managed to sneak into my heart in ways I never thought possible. You are absolutely beautiful inside and out. You have the heart of a saint, the patience of one too, and you are so caring and sweet. There are so many amazing qualities in you and I want to soak them all in and love every little piece of you for as long as you let me.” Marinette smiled as tears strolled down her face. Adrien grasped her hands and placed tender kisses to each of her knuckles. “So, Marinette? Will you go out with me and be my girlfriend? 

Marinette wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned her forehead against his. “Yes. I would love to go out with you.” 

And with that, Adrien cupped her cheek and nuzzled his nose against hers, a silent plea to kiss her soft lips. When she smiled, she bit her lip inviting him in. Closing the gap between them, Adrien started with a simple peck, but Marinette drawled it out longer until they were both lost in each other's warmth. The kisses felt like they were alone and far away from the world; the warmth of the sun and the slight breeze that surrounded them assisting in their fantasy getaway. The only thing that brought them back to the small bench on the side of the school building in Paris was the bell alerting them that class was about to begin. 

They pulled away, both smiling, both realizing that this was the right thing for them. They felt safe and warm and loved. There was no confusion, no desolation, and no torn hearts for other people. Just two people melded together at the right moment at the right time. 

“Come on, mon chérie,” Marinette said as she stood up, “or we’ll be late for class.” 


	7. Reveal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien and Marientte play a little game that proves more than enough coincidence in their lives.

“Ready?” Adrien said softly to Marinette. 

“Ready.” 

Marinette and Adrien walked in to class holding hands. It wasn’t any different than the previous day so no one made a fuss, but when Adrien guided her to her seat, he leaned down to give her a simple peck to her lips before sliding into his own seat. Marinette smiled and Adrien winked ready for what would happen next. 

_Three... Two... One._

Alya’s eyes were ready to fly out of her head and a loud squeal erupted from her chest. Nino’s eyes were just as wide, but instead he just yelled “Dude!” and slapped Adrien’s back. Chloe, still reeling from yesterday’s fiasco, chose to ignore it as best she could, but everyone could still see her stewing with her arms crossed and nose stuck up in the air. The rest of the girls – Mylene, Alix, Juleka, Rose, and even Sabrina – all squealed in happiness. Lila sat in the back and scowled, not saying a word. 

Adrien and Marinette looked to each other and shrugged. “We have no idea what you guys are implying. We’re just friends.” Adrien said with a straight face. 

Alya’s jaw dropped while chaos ensued everywhere else. They all surrounded the pair, trying to figure out what was going on, mainly asking about the kiss. 

“Doesn’t everyone kiss their friends? I mean, we are French. Is that not normal?” 

Marinette tried to hold back a laugh and straightened her face to respond. “I know you guys have been wanting to hear this for a long time.” She reached out and grabbed Adrien’s hand that was draped over her desk. “We upgraded our relationship and made it official.” This prompted a gasp from the girls. “We are now _best_ friends!” 

Alya almost fainted. “What the heck! This is not what I meant when I wanted this ship to sail.” She turned to Adrien. “Yes, we are French, but we kiss each other on the cheeks, NOT the lips. That’s strictly relationships.” 

“But Alya,” Adrien whined, “we _are_ in a relationship. We are the best of friends! And best friends have an amazing friendship! We love each other like family. It’s okay to kiss family like that, right?” 

So many groans filled the room. Ms. Bustier walked in and brought the attention back to order. Marinette and Adrien shared a giggle with each other before Adrien cleared his throat and faced the teacher. Marinette could feel the heavy glare coming from her best friend. She turned to her and shrugged her shoulders, placing her index finger to her lips to ‘shush’ her and promptly watched the board like a model student. 

* * *

At lunch, Marinette and Adrien found each other in the courtyard and gave each other the biggest, gaudiest hug that anyone had ever seen. 

“BEST FRIEND!” They said in unison as they embraced. 

The groans could be heard around the school, making this entire thing so much more worthwhile. Earlier that morning, as they walked into the school together, Marinette explained that the class has been waiting for this moment ‘for like ever’. Adrien – as Marinette had found out, enjoys being a bit mischievous – brought up the idea to play a prank on the class. Intrigued by the idea, Adrien continued and mentioned that they should make a show of their “friendship” throughout the day, then reveal their relationship the next morning. The plan was working and it just amused to two of them to no end. 

Really, the real reason they needed to wait to announce to the class was because they needed to tell their families before news spread around quickly. With Adrien being famous, their relationship was bound to be on the front page of some sleezy newspaper and he didn’t want to defend their relationship to his Father. It was important that he tell him the news himself first. 

As soon as their friends left the courtyard, Adrien wrapped his arm around Marinette’s shoulders and kissed her temple. “I’ll come back as soon as I can so we can hang out before classes start.” 

“I’ll wait for you. Text me when your close?” 

Adrien led the two to a discreet little corner of the entryway of the school. He leaned down and placed a chaste kiss to her lips, relishing in the softness. “I’ll see you soon.” 

* * *

Lunch at Marinette’s went well. Telling her parents the great news only ignited a celebratory passion in Tom’s belly. Sabine had to bring him back down into the world of Paris, and insisted she bring Adrien over after classes were complete so they could give the young man a hug and a cake of his choice. Marinette asked if they were buying Adrien’s love with food, allowing Tom to agree with another bakery pun. A quick text of a thumb’s up emoji to Adrien and she enjoyed the rest of her lunch in peace. 

Adrien’s lunch was quiet, per usual. It took some time to coax Nathalie to request Gabriel’s attention for an important announcement that needed to be had before he went back to school. Nathalie was able to find five minutes of his time, which Adrien hoped would be enough to state his case on having a relationship with Marinette. It took some convincing, a little back and forth badgering, but then Gabriel obliged. Happily, Adrien responded back to Marinette’s text with a thumb’s up emoji and a heart. 

Only forty minutes more to go before he could see her again. 

* * *

The afternoon brought in an early summer storm, but that did not stop the two superheroes with their weekly patrol. Ladybug and Chat Noir walked by the Notre Dame Cathedral huddled under an umbrella to save them from the rain. 

It was late in the evening by the time they were almost finished with patrol, with only a few Parisians out faring the crummy weather. They waved sweetly to the children, but were left mostly alone to each other’s company. Even with the slight chill in the air, the mood was delightful. 

Ladybug could not contain her giddiness; Chat was in an extremely adorable mood. He was whistling as he walked and Ladybug could see that his nerves could not contain his excitement any longer. Every so often, he bounced on the balls of his feet, waiting to spill his happy secret, but he wanted to wait until his Lady asked him first. 

Ladybug was just as distracted but could not contain her enjoyment for the cat’s antics. She shook her head and gave in to his excitement. “Alright Chat.” Chat’s ears perked up. “What has gotten you so happy all of a sudden?” 

Chat was titillated that she took the bait. “Well, Milady, since you asked so nicely, I have some purr-fect news! I have a girlfriend now!” 

Ladybug felt a twinge of jealousy, but it was short lived. Honestly, if anything, she was excited for him. He deserved to have someone who loved him the way he should be loved. “Is this one of your silly games to get me jealous again?” She teased. 

“No, not at all! I have been thinking about this girl for a while now. After a simple misunderstanding, this night-in-shining armor asked his princess out on a date and to be his girlfriend.” 

“Chat, that’s great!” She hid the confusion behind her fringe. _He used to call her princess._ But she continued. “And I assume that with all your bouncing around that she said yes?” 

“Yup!” He cheered, popping the p. “She was so happy she let me kiss her. It was seriously amazing.” 

Ladybug smiled as she played with the handle of the umbrella. “I guess I should share my news too then. It seems like you’re not the only to start a relationship.” 

Chat looked at her with the softest kitten eyes and waited for her to continue. “Do you remember that boy I’ve been pining over the last year?” 

“You mean the one that I called a dummy for not seeing you for who you are since day one?” 

She pouted at him. “Yes, Chat. That boy.” She lightly slapped his arm. “And don’t call him a dummy!” He chuckled as he feigned hurt. “Well, after our own misunderstanding, he asked me out on a proper date.” 

“That’s awesome, LB. I’m so happy for you. What are the odds that we would both be with someone on the same day?” 

“Yeah, what a coincidence.” Ladybug added. She heard a laugh coming from her partner and Ladybug just had to inquire. “All right Chat. What is so funny?” 

“I was just thinking about my day. Actually, my girlfriend told me something interesting, and because I am such a mischievous kitten, I asked her if she was willing to pull a prank on our class.” 

Ladybug stopped in her tracks and turned to him. This was becoming awfully familiar. The conversations between Tikki and Wayzz over the last few weeks were starting to make sense. She swallowed thickly and decided to ask. “Did you happen to prank your class that you and your girlfriend were best friends instead of being in a relationship?” 

Chat looked at her with his eyes wide in shock. “Ye- yeah?” 

A few seconds passed in silence before they broke it in a whisper-yell. 

“Adrien?” 

“Marinette?” 

Their expressions went from shock, to happiness, to an overwhelming feeling of amusement. 

“We’ve seriously been pranking everyone all day all to end with us being the biggest clowns of our lives.” Chat said in astonishment. 

Ladybug could only nod her head in agreement. “I’ve had this feeling for weeks. Tikki and Wayzz have been urging me to have us reveal ourselves and now I know why.” She dragged her hand down her face. “You have no idea how crazy I was over both sides of you! I have been in love with your civilian self for over a year and I recently fell in love with this version of you. Having to choose between the two of you was one of the most awful things I had ever had to experience.” 

Chat let out a boisterous laugh. “Oh my gods. You know I’ve been in love with you for over a year! I fell in love with your civilian self over the last couple of weeks.” Chat then realized what she had just said. “Wait, you have been in love with me for over a year?” Ladybug nodded bashfully. “I cannot believe we have been chasing our tails over the last year only for us to fall in love with each other two times over.” 

“I’m so glad I don’t have to choose. I’m so happy that I get to have both sides of you.” 

Chat pulled her into a hug. “You just said you loved me.” 

“Yup.” 

“And you love all of me.” 

“Every single side of you, mon minou.” She thumbed his cheek. “And I believe you just said you loved both sides of me, too.” 

“Mhmm.” He hummed sweetly in her ear as he nuzzled his nose in her hair. “And I will tell you this again and again until the day I die. I. Love. You. Marinette Dupain-Cheng.” 

“And I love you, Adrien Agreste.” 

They stood there under the umbrella, thunder rolling in the skies above them, falling deeper in love with each other just like she did that faithful day over a year ago. They fell into their heavenly gaze, soaking in the love and compassion that radiated from their souls, intertwining them together as soulmates so often do. 

Adrien cupped her cheek and leaned his forehead against hers, nuzzling his nose with hers in an endless supply of Eskimo kisses to fill his heart. An adoring smile spread upon his lips before pulling her into a slow, but passionate kiss. Pulling back slightly to see the light blush on her cheeks, he relished in the thought that he was lucky enough that both sides of her would always be a huge part of his life. 

And if the look of desire in her eyes had anything to tell, she felt just as lucky as he did. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoyed this fluffy story! Thank you for all the kudos and the comments. You guys are the real MVPs! 
> 
> Thank you for @lovesquarefluffweek for hosting this event and coming up with the prompts. 
> 
> This story went in a completely different direction that what I was originally planning to write. Sometimes the best stories are the ones that come to life on their own.
> 
> Come find me on tumblr for for ML love: @coffeecomicsgalore


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